• Question: Is it possible to split the electron?

    Asked by astroaaron to Ben, Jony, Katharine, Mark, Peter on 17 Nov 2011.
    • Photo: Ben Still

      Ben Still answered on 17 Nov 2011:

      Currently we do not believe that it is. It seems that the electron is not made up of anything smaller, like protons are made up of quarks.

      String theory suggests that all particles are nothing but different vibrations of strings and things, but right now there is no way to test the theory with experiment.

    • Photo: Katharine Schofield

      Katharine Schofield answered on 17 Nov 2011:

      As Ben says, we think an electron is a fundamental particle that can’t be split apart into any smaller bits. I’d like to know what Jony has to say, he’s the electron expert round here!

    • Photo: Peter Williams

      Peter Williams answered on 17 Nov 2011:

      Come on Jony – where are you! He is indeed the expert.

      As far as we can tell an electron is pointlike and fundamental. Jony’s experiment is looking for something called an electric dipole moment. This would be evidence that it has some spatial extension and would be really big news if found.
      Jony et al have come up with some smart ways of making this measurement really precisely. Come on Jony – your public needs you……

    • Photo: Mark Basham

      Mark Basham answered on 17 Nov 2011:

      Yeah, i agree with Peter, Jonys the man for this question, but what Ben says is right.

Comments

  • Photo: astroaaron

    astroaaron commented on :

    I recently read an artical from 2009(?) that said they used ‘quantum wires’ to split the electron to produce spinons and holons. Could you explain exactly what this means, and if it actually did happen? 🙂

    • Photo: Mark

      Mark commented on :

      Ah ok, i had a look into this. What’s being created here are quasiparticals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasiparticle So they are not really split into 2, but its a way of describing the effects that we see. So in the case of the “quantum wires” it looks like there are 2 quasiparticals, the spinons and holons which each do different things, but they are in reality just showing the really odd properties of electrons when you put them in such a strange place.

      Hope that makes sence

    • Photo: Katharine

      Katharine commented on :

      asrtoaaron, wow – I hadn’t heard of that one before, so no I can’t really explain it. From a quick google seach it looks like it’s condensed matter research, but you’re more clued up on the literature than me! Any of the other scientists know about this?